(S5) - Weekend PT #5 - Reflections

[ExemplaryChad]

The most enlightening moment of the season for me, personally, probably came as early as week one, when we played the Arizona Outlaws. We lost badly, 34-9. Unfortunately, it sort of set the tone for the rest of the season. However, it helped me to see how and if my offseason work was going to show in my personal on-field effort.

I held some training sessions in the offseason with fellow defensive players Michael Tillman, Andre Bly, and Brice Boggs. I wanted to work on my hands since I tend to get dropped back in coverage quite a lot under this coaching scheme, and coverage is an area where I thought our defense could improve. This training allowed me to get 2 PDs in week one, and from that point, I’ve led the league in PDs for a non-cornerback (until Ridley overtook me recently by one). It’s not a standard stat that you look at for linebackers at a professional level, but after getting 99 tackles last year and finishing in the top 15, I wanted to prove to myself that I could elevate another part of my game. Week one showed that I could do that, and, thanks to my fantastic teammates and coaches, I’ve had more success than even I expected.

Haruki Ishigawa

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